Muskingum County Court, Ohio Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

CRITICAL

Counsel are encouraged to confer about discovery, and the party seeking discovery must initiate personal consultation with opposing counsel before filing a discovery request, motion, or application under Ohio Civil Rules 26–37.

A. CONSULTATIONS AMONG COUNSEL: Counsel are encouraged to participate in pretrial discovery conferences to reduce, in every possible way, the filing of unnecessary discovery procedures. No interrogatories, request, motion or application will be filed under Rules 26 through 37 of The Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure until counsel shall have explored the objectives with opposing counsel in an effort to informally handle the matter or matters and/or reduce the area of controversy. It shall be the responsibility of the party seeking discovery to initiate such personal consultation.

CRITICAL

Opposing counsel must respond in the same manner within 14 days; motions are then submitted unless the Court extends the time, and an oral hearing requires a written request by the parties and a determination by the Court that it is necessary.

Opposing counsel shall answer in the like manner within fourteen (14) days thereafter. All motions will be considered submitted at the end of said fourteen (14) day period unless time is extended by the Court. There will be no oral hearings granted in said motions unless the parties request an oral hearing in writing and the Court deems it necessary.

CRITICAL

Discovery objections are due within 20 days after service and may be answered within 10 days after service of the objections; the matter is automatically submitted when the answer is filed or the 10-day period ends.

D. OBJECTIONS TO DISCOVERY MOTION, ETC.: Objections to any discovery motion, application, interrogatories or request under Rules 26 through 37 of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure shall be filed within twenty (20) days after service of the formal motion, application, interrogatories or request, and shall be accompanied by a memorandum or brief. E. ANSWER, MEMORANDUM OR BRIEF: The party initiating discovery to which objections are filed, may file an answer memorandum or brief within ten (10) days after service of the objections. Upon the filing of such answer, memorandum or brief, or at the end of the ten (10) day period, the matter will be automatically submitted.

CRITICAL

All motions in criminal cases must be set for an oral hearing.

All motions shall be set for oral hearing.

INFO

If personal consultation does not resolve the discovery matter, the party seeking discovery may proceed with a formal filing under Ohio Civil Rules 26–37.

C. DISCOVERY MOTION, APPLICATION, INTERROGATORIES, ETC. : To the extent such personal consultation does not dispose of the matter, the party seeking the discovery may then proceed with the filing of a formal motion, application, interrogatories or request under any of Rules 26 through 37 of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure.